2/5 Mr. Victorious Jaffar W. 8 months ago on Google
Caerleon
Roman
Fortress
Caerleon
Roman
Fortress
and
Baths
encompass
the
archaeological
ruins
and
sites
of
the
Legionary
Fortress
of
Isca
Augusta
spread
across
the
town
of
Caerleon,
near
the
city
of
Newport,
South
Wales.
Notable
for
being
one
of
only
three
permanent
legionary
fortresses
from
Roman
Britain
(the
others
being
York
and
Chester),
Caerleon
has
provided
a
unique
opportunity
to
study
the
archaeology
of
a
Roman
Legionary
fortress,
less
affected
by
the
medieval
and
subsequent
urban
activity
of
most
such
fortresses.
Having
attracted
the
attention
of
eminent
archaeologists
throughout
the
20th
century
it
now
has
four
major
public
archaeological
venues,
including
the
museum
run
by
Cadw,
called
'Caerleon
Roman
Fortress
and
Baths'
(Welsh:
Caer
a
Baddonau
Rhufeinig
Caerllion
Amgueddfa),
featuring
the
excavated
fortress
bath-house.
Also
open
to
the
public
is
the
most
complete
excavated
amphitheatre
in
Britain,
a
series
of
barracks
and
the
National
Roman
Legion
Museum.
The
fortress
and
its
surrounding
civil
settlement
have
been
the
subject
of
continuing
major
archaeological
investigations
into
the
21st
century.
Background
and
history
Main
articles:
Isca
Augusta
and
Caerleon
Roman
Wales
was
the
farthest
point
west
that
the
Roman
Empire
in
Roman
Britain
extended
to,
and
as
a
defence
point,
the
fortress
at
Caerleon
built
in
AD
75
was
one
of
only
three
permanent
Roman
Legionary
fortresses
in
Roman
Britain.
It
was
occupied
and
operational
for
just
over
200
years.
Caerleon's
archaeological
history
The
earliest
description
of
Caerleon's
Roman
ruins
is
in
Gerald
of
Wales's
12th
century
Itinerarium
Cambriae.
He
was
fully
aware
of
the
Roman
historical
significance
of
Caerleon
and
also
gives
extensive
archaeological
detail.
Much
may
be
fanciful
or
drawn
from
other
locations
however,
and
the
features
were
certainly
not
apparent
by
later
centuries.
But
his
description
confirmed
Caerleon
as
a
notable
historical
site:
Caerleon
means
the
city
of
Legions,
Caer,
in
the
British
language,
signifying
a
city
or
camp,
for
there
the
Roman
legions,
sent
into
this
island,
were
accustomed
to
winter,
and
from
this
circumstance
it
was
styled
the
city
of
legions.
This
city
was
of
undoubted
antiquity,
and
handsomely
built
of
masonry,
with
courses
of
bricks,
by
the
Romans.
Many
vestiges
of
its
former
splendour
may
yet
be
seen;
immense
palaces,
formerly
ornamented
with
gilded
roofs,
in
imitation
of
Roman
magnificence,
inasmuch
as
they
were
first
raised
by
the
Roman
princes,
and
embellished
with
splendid
buildings;
a
tower
of
prodigious
size,
remarkable
hot
baths,
relics
of
temples,
and
theatres,
all
inclosed
within
fine
walls,
parts
of
which
remain
standing.
You
will
find
on
all
sides,
both
within
and
without
the
circuit
of
the
walls,
subterraneous
buildings,
aqueducts,
underground
passages;
and
what
I
think
worthy
of
notice,
stoves
contrived
with
wonderful
art,
to
transmit
the
heat
insensibly
through
narrow
tubes
passing
up
the
side
walls.
There
are
further
indications
that
significant
ruins
or
building
survived
into
the
medieval
period.
The
vast
stone
complex
of
the
fortress
baths
are
thought
to
have
been
destroyed
in
the
13th
century,and
the
ditch
at
10
Mill
Street
was
identified
as
still
standing
open
in
the
Middle
Ages.
An
engraving
of
1783
shows
a
crumbling
tower
and
roman
stonework.
The
Antiquarians
Through
the
1840s
some
ad
hoc
excavations
were
made,
which,
along
with
finds
from
construction
works
culminated
in
the
foundation
of
the
Caerleon
Antiquarian
Association
in
October
1847,
with
the
twin
aims
of
carrying
out
excavations
and
providing
a
museum
to
house
the
finds.
An
early
project,
possibly
even
predating
the
new
Association
was
an
excavation
of
the
extramural
bathhouse.
This
was
alongside
the
medieval
castle
motte,
within
its
bailey,
on
land
owned
by
John
Jenkins
and
it
was
undertaken
by
John
Edward
Lee,
who
became
the
secretary
and
initial
driving
force
of
the
Association.
